Tag: reptile photography

Poop happens!

by goatsby, posted in Heloderma, Gila monster, Husbandry
If an image could be a scratch and sniff… I know you can smell this!

Gila monsters pooping in water bowls, especially freshly cleaned and filled ones, is a tale as old as time. When you walk into the room you know immediately what happened and it’s maddening! At least it was until I changed my perspective on this crappy situationđŸ’©.

It’s going down for real.

Ever notice that your Gila will often wait until the freshest, cleanest water is offered before a life-altering bowel movement is made? Yep, I have too! Makes you crazy, but this should actually be viewed as a good thing. Over the years I have come to appreciate this twisted ritual as a way of ensuring my Gilas are eating, and defecating, in a healthy way. Gilas can and will hold their poop in for long periods of time which is likely a survival technique to retain moisture in periods of drought, and though I have not has any issues with impaction it could be supposed that little water or a lack of water could lead to this over time. Therefore, is the poopy soup water bowl really a bad thing?

Clean water is essential for your Gilas!

It should go without saying that bowls should be checked daily and changed straight away when the water has been soiled. Gilas can and will bath in their filth if given the opportunity, which will not lead to anything good. Clean water offered daily is truly essential in keeping your Gilas healthy and regular. Take a different perspective on that stinky water bowl next time you put it in, and the task of cleaning it will not be so bad (though good vibes does nothing for that smell)!

Hot Tub Gila Monster Time Machine

by goatsby, posted in Heloderma, Story of the day, Gila monster, reptiles

Gila monster soup? Two Gilas one water dish? Nah, Hot Tub Gila Time Machine! Of course they have access to their own water bowls, but what fun is that? This is Indy and Misty and they follow each other around like any young couple in love. Thankfully they didn’t do what Gilas always do in the water bowls, yetđŸ’©!

Photo shoot with Gila 41

by goatsby, posted in Heloderma, Gila monster, reptiles

I don’t often like to show off, but Gila 41 (Jane, DMB fans will know) was my 2024 holdback and she has really become a stunner. I certainly can’t claim this, only her parents and God have that honor, but I’m glad to have made the introduction. Her (I guessed female at birth and it certainly seems to be shaping up that way) parents are female 03 Belle and male 23 Thunder. These Gilas were not paired this year but I may put them together again next year after this! She has always had a sweet disposition and has remained that way. Some Gilas start off spicy and stay that way, Jane is a sweetie pie in contrast.

Gila 41 as a baby

We have eggs incubating now and should be hatching around Halloween, reach out if you want to join our 2026 waitlist! ¡Buen provecho!

2025 Gila monster Season update: Eggs a-comin’ and the long wait ahead

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma, reptiles
Pairs are separated after ovulation.

The pairs have been paired and soon we get to see how things went. I’ve been doing this long enough not to expect miracles, but I must admit to being a little more than excited about having six females, including our axanthic, potentially laying eggs this year. It is always a bit like Christmas morning when you’re a kid waiting for Gila monster eggs, you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get, but you hope it will be everything you’ve dreamed of all year. All the planning, cooling, feeding, and pairing comes to fruition or failure now.

The Gilas get very close throughout the season.

Setting up the pairs in hopes of achieving specific traits such as high pink or orange, reduced or abnormal patterns, or axanthic, is meticulously planned based on babies that have been produced here. I am in touch with many of the folks that have purchased Gilas from us here at Goatsby’s Place and track how they grow to try and replicate these traits. The axanthic line, originally from Seward’s project, is very exciting and we hope to have some 100% hets this year from that pairing.

Smile you’re on Candid Camera! Pairs are watched and recorded throughout the day and night for mating activity.

After oviposition the long wait begins. It’s been common for eggs that will not make it to term to expire within the first 30 days after being laid, though they can go bad at any time really. Never count your Gilas before they hatch is a good analogy! There’s a lot of hurry up wait at this point but it’s all part of the process in breeding Gila monsters.

Winnie the axanthic Gila laying out of her shelter.

Every year starts out with hope and we are thankful that it has ended with baby Gila monsters for the past six years. Some eggs are not fertile or make it to full term, but as long a a baby Gila pips its head out of the egg in the fall it is all worth it!

2024 babies: which pattern do you prefer?

2020 Gila monster breeding season begins!

by goatsby, posted in Gila monster, Heloderma, reptiles

With the babies I’ve held back are growing like weeds and coloring up beautifully, I’ve taken the adults out of brumation and am warming them up and will be feeding them their first meal soon. I’m both excited and nervous as to how this season will turn out. Will all the eggs paid be fertile? Will all the fertile eggs go to term? An educated guess says no to both but if improvements are made I am moving in the right direction.

I’ll be doing some new things this year. First, I’ll be pairing straight reticulated with reticulated, and banded with banded. Also, instead of leaving switching males between cages I will keep one male with one female for the duration of the breeding season. The females do seem to have preferences, and hopefully they still lie each other this year. I am waiting until the last week of March to start pairing as last year the females were not receptive and often attacked and bit the unrelenting males so it would be nice to avoid this drama and potential injury. I’ll keep everyone posted on the progress and of any successes and failures on my second year of breeding these amazing Gila monsters!

Day 132: So close, but so far!

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma, reptiles

R0000020We are 132 days past oviposition and the remaining six eggs appear to be hanging in there. One of the eggs has dented in, which I am hoping means that it will hatch in the next few weeks and does not mean the embryo has died. The other eggs remain rigid and appear to be well, fingers crossed they come to term! The Grumbach has been great in maintaining the temperature and humidity stable throughout incubation, but I have noticed that the egg boxes have increased in temperature by 1°F higher than the incubator over the last few weeks. Condensation has also started to build up (mostly on the sides) so I’ve been keeping an eye on that to ensure none falls on the eggs potentially suffocating the embryo inside. Since the eggs were incubated at the lower end of the range it can be expected that the eggs will hatch (if they do) toward the later end of the spectrum, potentially 150+ days. Man, I can’t wait…

On the other side of the house my adult Gilas are getting ready for next year. Weekly feedings of 2-3 mice (2 for the males, 3 for the females) has brought all of the Gilas to a healthy state; good fat reserves in the tails and a constant, though not concerning, weight gain. As most of my group was purchased earlier in 2019 and after the hibernation cycle, I do not have data on what the pre-hibernation weights were last year but I think they are ahead as their weights are above pre-breeding numbers from this season. I hope to have more fertile eggs that make it to term in the upcoming season as they entire group will have been with me for the whole cycle.

Winter cooling is going to start in late November and this year a larger refrigerator / cooler is going to be purchased in order to facilitate all adults. I’ve noticed an increase in activity and feeding response in the adults over the past week, almost being as active as breeding season. I do not know if this has to do with growing follicles and testes, a reduced photoperiod, or slight drop in temperature (or maybe all) but it does seem that the Gilas are getting ready for a long winter’s nap!

That’s all for now, hopefully the next post is of the Gilas hatching!!